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Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House) (Free House)
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| Beer (sort) | Average Score (sort) | No. Samples (sort) |
|---|---|---|
| Ossett - Excelsius (was Excelsior) |  | 2 |
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | | 1 |
| Otter - Bitter | | 1 |
| Larkins - Porter | | 1 |
| Long Man - Old Man | | 1 |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord |  | 1 |
| Long Man - Best Bitter | | 1 |
| Larkins - Pale | | 3 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Honey Dark | | 1 |
| Westerham - Viceroy India Pale Ale | | 1 |
| Butcombe - Bitter (or Original Beer) | | 1 |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | | 5 |
| Westerham - Family Stout |  | 1 |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | | 1 |
| Malton - Yorkshire Pudding Beer | | 1 |
| Marston's - Pedigree | | 1 |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | | 1 |
| Anarchy - Citra Star | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Rooster's - This is England | Not Tried | 0 |
| Ossett - White Rat | Not Tried | 0 |
| Long Man - Copper Hop | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Black Noise | Not Tried | 0 |
| Butcombe - Rare Breed (or Adam Henson's Rare Breed) | Not Tried | 0 |
| Bowland - Boxer Blonde | Not Tried | 0 |
| Greene King - Abbot | Not Tried | 0 |
| Black Sheep - Respire | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Wolf of the Woods | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - Red India Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Easy Street Pale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale Ale | Not Tried | 0 |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - The Light | Not Tried | 0 |
| Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - Gold | Not Tried | 0 |
| Dorking - DB Number One | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - 1381 | Not Tried | 0 |
| Hop Back - Citra | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | Not Tried | 0 |
| Tonbridge - Old Chestnut | Not Tried | 0 |
| Wantsum - Black Pig | Not Tried | 0 |
| Theakston - Old Peculier | Not Tried | 0 |
| Rebellion - IPA (was 3.7%) | Not Tried | 0 |
Visits Details
24 May 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close. At last full tram service operating again.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - 200 Premium Ale | 5.00 | | Very very fruity concoction, much more so that usual. Had to have two |
| Timothy Taylor - Landlord | 4.30 | | Pretty much always reliable |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - DB Number One | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Hop Back - Citra | 4.00 | Not Tried | On gravity dispense on bar counter top |
| Tonbridge - Old Chestnut | 4.40 | Not Tried |
10 May 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butcombe - Bitter (or Original Beer) | 4.00 | | Good condition but an unremarkable beer |
| Titanic - Plum Porter | 4.90 | | Last out of a cask served on gravity on bar counter. Obviously tired |
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | | Near end of cask. OK |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Tonbridge - Easy Street Pale | 3.90 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - The Light | 4.50 | Not Tried |
30 Apr 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close. Trams back running at last.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | I must admit something has changed of late with IPA. A loss of most of its floral hop nose? Not pub's fault obviously! |
| Westerham - Viceroy India Pale Ale | 5.00 | | A powerful bitter in which one can feel its strength |
| Greene King - Abbot | 5.00 | Not Tried | On gravity dispense on bar counter top |
| Long Man - Best Bitter | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Wolf of the Woods | 4.70 | Not Tried | |
| Rooster's - This is England | 3.80 | Not Tried |
22 Apr 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | An OK condition half |
| Long Man - Best Bitter | 4.00 | | Good condition although a rather bland offering |
| Malton - Yorkshire Pudding Beer | 3.60 | | Served from a gravity tub on the bar counter. Real chore as rather tasteless and with a broken yeasty scummy head. There again what do Yorkshire Puddings actually taste of anyway in the flesh! |
| Long Man - Copper Hop | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Butcombe - Rare Breed (or Adam Henson's Rare Breed) | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Rooster's - This is England | 3.80 | Not Tried |
19 Apr 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Man - Old Man | 4.30 | | Spot on form - best of the evening here |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Good balance |
| Westerham - Family Stout | 4.50 | | Rare to be on gravity dispense on the bar counter. A little bit flat |
| Dark Star - Hophead was 3.8% (some has also been brewed by Fuller's) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Rooster's - This is England | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Ossett - White Rat | 4.00 | Not Tried |
12 Apr 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Evening visit until midnight close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larkins - Porter | 5.20 | | First rate in every way. Delicious |
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | | Tastiest Larkins Pale I have had for a long time |
| Theakston - Old Peculier | 5.60 | Not Tried | |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Rebellion - IPA (was 3.7%) | 3.40 | Not Tried | |
| Anarchy - Citra Star | 4.10 | Not Tried |
08 Apr 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close, a visit foreshortened by the Tramlink replacement bus going here stopping nowhere near the tramstop and I mean nowhere.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otter - Bitter | 3.60 | | Good to try a basic session ale every so often |
| Ossett - Excelsius (was Excelsior) | 5.20 | | Holding up well after a few days on |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - 1381 | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Black Pig | 4.80 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | 3.90 | Not Tried |
05 Apr 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until midnight close. No trams here for a fortnight or so.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ossett - Excelsius (was Excelsior) | 5.20 | | A full bodied well bittered nightcap |
| Larkins - Pale | 4.20 | | Very well rounded |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Missing just a little in flavour |
| Exmoor (now brewed by Hogs Back) - Gold | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - 1381 | 3.80 | Not Tried | |
| Wantsum - Black Prince | 3.90 | Not Tried |
08 Mar 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until midnight close. Very noisy inside with lots of raised voices competing.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | | Palmers IPA seems to have lost its hop nose and bitterness of late, making it often rather bland |
| Marston's - Pedigree | 4.50 | | Poured flattish, sure not the pub's fault at all, but multiple vigorous decantings between two pint glasses made for some head and life. |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | 3.70 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Red India Ale | 5.00 | Not Tried | |
| Sambrook's - Pumphouse Pale Ale | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Black Noise | 4.50 | Not Tried |
06 Mar 2024 (Philip Pirrip)
Late evening visit until close.
| Beer | ABV | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twickenham (also uses sub-brand Old Hands) - Honey Dark | 4.80 | | Shared it to be a chaser for a bottle of Sambrook's Imperial Stout! |
| Palmers - Copper Ale | 3.70 | | Rare for here, felt tired and bland |
| Palmers - IPA (Best) | 4.20 | Not Tried | |
| Dorking - Black Noise | 4.50 | Not Tried | |
| Bowland - Boxer Blonde | 4.00 | Not Tried | |
| Black Sheep - Respire | 4.00 | Not Tried |
About the Claret & Ale (formerly Claret Free House)
Summary of Beer Scores
| Total | |
|---|---|
 | 5 |
| 279 |
| 158 |
| 22 |
 | 1 |
The pub is found in Addiscombe, Greater London, CR0 7AA.
Small low ceilinged pub close to Addiscombe Tram Stop in Bingham Corner, Lower Addiscombe Road. This pub is a regular outlet for Palmers beers. In November 2012 Palmers awarded the pub a certificate for having sold a total of 1,000,000 pints of Palmers Best Bitter (IPA) exceeding any other of its free trade outlets and in later years further greatly exceeded here and similarly certificated with 1,250,000th in 2019. 6 handpumps dispense the real ales and always at least 2 ciders served by a walk to the ground floor cellar, the latter of late not being real ones however. Beers in the cellar and due to come on are listed on a wallboard. Changed hands in 2016 with slight change of name from Claret Free House to Claret & Ale but little else has changed. 6 handpumps. Regular winner of the local CAMRA branch Borough Pub of the Year award. Local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year 2024.
We have visited this pub 217 times, seen 312 different beers and tried 101 of them.
Postcode: CR0 7AA